Punching-machine



V. R. BOTTONE.

PUNCHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 2 9. 1918.

Patented June 22, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

V. R. BOTTONE.

PUNCHING MACHINE.

, I APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29, 1918. I I

.1 44,435. Patented June 22, 1920.

' 3 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

w l) a g :1 E 1 1 l N i. I 9F *0 F u V. R. BOTTONE.

PUNCHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 29, I918. Q

- Patented June 22, 1920,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

- ployed in the manufacture of separators for use in storage batteries;the invention UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

vxcroa n. Bo'r'roNE, or PHILADELPNIA, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIGNoR 'roPHILADEL- PHIA STORAGE BATTERY COMPANY, or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, Acon- PORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, VIo'roR R. BOTTONE,.

Punching-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to provldc a simple and substantial formof punching machine, especially designed for perforating thin sheets orplates of structurally weak material, such as the hard rubber emmoreparticularly contemplating a novel form and arrangement of the punchesand cooperating diestructures for forming the very narrow elongatedperforations desired in such structures.

I further desire to provide a novel construction of feed rollers forinsuring the proper intermittent delivery of the thin sheets of materialto the punches.

Another object of my invention is to provide novel means for mountingthe individual members of a gang of punches in a head or supportingblock whereby it shall be possible to quickly and conveniently removeand replace any of said punches the invention also including ,novelforms of the die and the stripper plate for 00- operating with thepunches.

These objects and other advantageous ends Lattain as hereinafter 'setforth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in Which- I vFigure 1 is a front elevation of a punching machine constructed inaccordance with my invention; a

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a the machine-shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a rear elevatlon, partly in section, on the line 3-3, Fig. 2,further illusportion of trating the invention;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse vertical section of the punch and diesupporting structures with their associated parts;

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are fragmentary perspective views of the punch-carryingplate, the stripper and the die, with their associated parts;

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary perspective view, partly in section,illustrating the detail. construction of one end of part of the die;

.which are required 7 and 8) are undercut some distance belowPUNGHING-MACHIN E.

Patented une 22, 1920.

Application fi led October 29,; 1918. Serial No, 260,169.

Fig. 9 is a transverse vertical section showing a modified constructionfor the ends of the spacer plate; and

Fig. 10 is afragmentary perspective of one of the completed separatorplates made by'my machine.

In manufacturing the thin, hard rubber separators of the type shown inFig. 10, in certain well known forms of storage batteries, the blankrubber sheets, having a thickness in the neighborhood of.01 5 of aninch, are required to be provided with series of relatively narrowelongated slots 1 whose width is prefer- .ably somewhat less than thethickness of the sheets in which they are formed. These slots arerelatively close together and for properl forming them in the blankrubber sheets have successfully employed the machine illustrated in theaccompanying drawings. This machine includes a supporting structure 2carrying a base plate 3 and having standards 4 extending upwardly fromthe latter so as to provide guides for a reciprocable plunger 5. Thestandards also have bearings for a shaft 6 on which is mounted a drivingpulley 7 and an eccentric whereby the plunger 5 is actuated through arod 8. The ,base structure 3 is preferabl of an inverted U-sha edsection, being e ongated transversely o' the machine and having screwedor bolted to its flat top face two elongated blocks 9 and 10 which withan intermediate plate 11 tute the die of the machine.

This plate. 11 is clamped between the blocks 9 and 10 by screws or bolts12 passing horizontally through the ends thereof, and the adjacentfacesof these blocks (Figs. longitudinally below a line extendingparallelwith the top edges the same said edges being vertically recessedso as to cooperate with the plate 11 in defining two parallel series ofnarrow elongated punch receiving openings 13, although it is obviousthat the openings may be arranged in other groupings without departingfrom mv invention. Said plate issupported with its top edge flush withthe top surface of the two die members and 10, for which purpose the endportions of these have their adacent faces cut awavas indicated at15,'Fig.

(Figs. 4 and 7) constitwo parallel series between a pair of elongatedblocks 18 and 19 by means of screws or bolts 20 passing transverselythrough the end of the latter. These blocks are mounted in a suitablerecess in the under side-of a head 21 carried by the lower end of theplunger 5 where they are held by vertically extending screws shown indotted lines in Fig. 4 and passing through openings 22.

The adjacent faces of these blocks 18 and 19.

are vertically slotted to receive the punches 17 and a plate 25 isclamped between them to space the latter in such positions that theywill properly enter the openings 13 in the lower die. The upper ends ofthe punches abut upon the flat bottom of the recess of the head 21 inwhich the blocks 18 and 19 are mounted and as they are arranged inadjacent pairs, they are held from dropping out of their recesses bypins 26 each of which passes transversely through said blocks, thespacing plate "25 and one pair of the punches 17. The punches themselvesare made of suitable steel such as that commonly employed in clocksprings and the lower or work engaging end of each of them may beconcaved from edge to edge as shown in Fig. 5.

For guiding and laterally supporting the parts of the punches 17 whichproject below the blocks 18 and 19, I provide a guide block consistingof two flat plates 27 and 28 held together in the same plane by screws29 passing horizontally through their end portions, and held apart by athin vertically extending spacer 80. plates adjacent said spacer arevertically recessed as indicated at 31 to permit the close passagethrough them of the punches 17, and the guide block is screwed orotherwise rigidly held to the top face of the die structure 9-10, havingits under face recessed to form a sheet guiding slot or way immediatelyabove the flat face of said structure. The vertical height of this slotis merely sufficient to permit of the free sliding through it of therubber or other sheets to be punched, so that the guide plate 27-28 notonly acts to direct each sheet but also serves as a stripper to preventit moving up wardly with the punches as they are withdrawn after havingbeen forced through it.

The edges of these For intermittently feeding sheets through i themachine I provide a pair of nip rolls 35-36 of which the latter ismounted in suitable bearings formed in thebranches of a Ushapedsupporting structure 37 adjustper roll, which is supported in bearings40 immediately above it, is circularly ribbed or corrugated. Thebearings 40 are slidably mounted on studs 41 fixed in the arms orbranches of the supporting structure 37 and are acted on by springs 42mounted on said 3 studs in such a manner as to at alltimes yieldinglypress the roll 36 toward the roll 35;-the parts being "so arranged thata substantially horizontal plane includin the guide slot between theblocks 27-28 an the 35 die 9-10, includes also the line of tangency ofsaid rolls.

The spindles on which the rolls are mounted in the present case havefixed to them two coacting pinions 43 and 44 and one of saidspindlesalso has fixed to it a ratchet wheel 45 kept from turning in onedirection by a spring actuated pawl 46.

"For actuating this pawl I provide a pin 47 projecting eccentricallyfrom one end of the shaft 6 and through a rod 48 I connect this pin withan arm 49 mounted to swing on the spindle 50 on which the roll 35 isfixed. The

pivot 51 connecting the rod 48 and the arm 49 also serves to carry apawl 52 acted on by a spring so as to normall engage the teeth of theratchet wheel '45. ft is noted that the feed rolls 35 and 36 aresupported at the rear or back side of the die 9-10 and for guiding theblank sheet prior to its engagement by the punches, I provide a flattubu-. lar' guideway 53 supported across the front of the machine on apair of brackets 54 fixed to the structure 3.

Under conditions of operation power is applied to. .the pulley 7 so thatthe plunger 5 with the head 21 and its punches 17 are verticallyreciprocated, and the resulting reciprocation of the rod 48 causes thepawl 52 to intermittently turn the ratchet wheel 45 1 with the feed roll35. If now a blank sheet of hard rubber of the proper thickness andwidth be fed through the guideway 53 and entered in the slot or recess56 between the die blocks 9-10 and the guide plates 27-28, 1

it will ultimately be engaged by the two sets of punches 17 and haveformed init two lines of narrow elongated slots 1. Each time the head 21with the punches is raised the sheet is fed inwardly until it is engaged1 by the rollers 35-36 and thereafter the pairs of, lines of slots 1 areformed in it at the desired distances apart, which distances are usuallyslightly more than the thickness of the punches. The punchings formedsupporting structure 3.

pass down through the cavity 57 (Fig. defined by the undercut portionsof the die blocks 9 and 10 and from thence fall out through 'a suitablepassage 58 in the die From the above description it will be noted thatwhile the punches are so held as to be rigidly supported both laterallyand at their ends, their mounting is such that by removing the blocks 18and 19 from their recess in the head 21, it is possible to quicklyremove and replace any desired number of punches by forcing out the pins26 whereby they are held in place. Moreover the sheet operated on is soguided andheld during the punching operation that it is effectuallyprevented from buckling, and I have found that owing to the peculiararrangement of the ribs or corrugations upon the feed rolls said sheetis firmly held by reason of the small temporary indentations caused init by said rolls, so that its slippage is effectually prevented and itspositive feed is assured. Further, by having the feed rolls ribbed asnoted, the punchings which ad here to the sheet owin to its electrifiedcondition, are not presse into it by the rolls but are moved into thedepressions between the ribs so that they do not affect said sheet.

I claim:

1. The combination in a punching machine of an elongated series ofpunches; a die; and a pair of rolls for feeding sheet vmaterial betweenthe die and punches, said rolls respectively 1 havin ribs substantiallyat right angles to eac other.

2. The combination in a punchin v machine of an elongated series of punces; a die; and a pair of rolls for feeding sheet material between thedie and punches, one of said rolls being longitudinally ribbed and theother being circumferentially ribbed.

3. The combination in a punching machine of a reciprocatory head; a pairof blocks; a series of punches mounted between the blocks; pinsextending through the I punches into the blocks for holding said punchesfrom lon itudinal movement; means for clamping to the head; and a diehaving openings for the reception of the punches.

4. The combination in a punching ma through said punch for holding itagainstlongitudinal movement; means in addition the blocks and punches6. The combination in a punching machine of a reciprocatory head; aplurality of punches mounted in said head; a pin extending through saidpunches to hold them from longitudinal movement; means in addition tosaid pin for clamping the punches in the head; and a die mounted tocoact with the punches.

7. The combination in a unching machine of a reciprocatory hea alurality of sets of punches mounted in said head to extend in parallellines; a series of pins each engaging the unches of one set forindependently hol ing them from longitudinal movement; means other thanthe pins for clamping the punches in the head; and a die mounted tocoact with said punches.

8. The combination in a unchin machine of a reciprocato hea two b ocks;a spacing piece mounte between the blocks; two series of punches resectively mounted between the blocks and the spacing piece; with a diehaving openings for said punches.

9. The combination in a punching machine of a reciprocatory head; twoelongated blocks connected thereto; .a spacing piece extending betweensaid blocks; two series of punches res ectivel mounted between saidplate 'and t e two blocks; pins extendingthrough the blocks and thespacing piece and each engaging two of the punches; with a die mountedto cooperate with. the punches.

10. The combination in a unchin machine of a reciprocatory head; twolocks connected thereto; a plate mounted between the blocks; fiat bladesconstituting punches clamped in two series between the blocks and saidplate; removable pins extendin through the blocks and the plate and eacengagin two of the punches; with a die mounte to cooperate with thepunches.

11. The combination in a punching machine of a reciprocatory head; atleast two punches mounted therem; a die mounted to cooperate with saidpunches; with a stripper mounted between the head and the die, saidstripper consisting of two plates having their adjacent edges recessedfor thereception of punches and an intermediate plate mounted betweensaid recessed plates and cooperating therewith to define the punchreceivin openings.

12. The com ination in a punching machine of a reciprocatory head; twolines of punches mounted therein; and a die cooperating with saidpunches, having openings for the punches, said die consisting of twoblocks and an intermediate plate mounted between the same.-

13. The combination in a punching machine of a reciprocatory head; atleast two punches mounted therein; with a die cona die consisting of twoblocks having their sisting of two blocks having their adjacent adjacentedges recessed for the reception of edges undercutand recessed for therecepthe punches and formed with shouldered tion of the punches and anintermediate portions; with a plate extending between 5 plate extendinglongitudinally between said said blocks and supported on said shouldered15 blocks to define the punch receiving openportions in position tocooperate with the ings. blocks to define punch receiving openings.

14. The combination in a punching ma- In Witness whereof I aflix mysignature. chine of areciprocatory head; a plurality 10 of series ofpunches mounted therein; with VICTOR R. BOTTONE.

